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Faulty switch caused Athens blackout

A blackout that affected most of Attica on Wednesday was caused by a faulty switch that blew at a sub-station close to the capital, Greek power grid operator ADMIE said Thursday, after completing its investigation into the power cut that disrupted traffic and trapped dozens in elevators.

ADMIE said the average life span of its switches ranges from 30 to 50 years but the faulty one had been installed in 2014 and was not due for maintenance until 2020.

ADMIE said it started conducting inspections at all high-voltage stations to ensure nothing similar will happen in the future.